英语播客EnglishPod 322

 A:     ... Now that we have been over the gory¹ details
       of our disastrous² first quarter, Ed! Give us some
       good news. How are things looking for us in terms
       of sales this month?

 B:     Uh well...would you like the bad news first or the
        really bad news?

 A:    What? Ed, don’t tell me you only have bad news!

 B:    Well sir, our sales have dropped, no plunged³, fifty
        percent in the past month alone. We are currently
       overstocked  and  overstaffed  and  our  profits  are
       falling  fast. The  market  is  in  recession  and  we
        have  no  way  of  moving  our  inventory,  or  getting
        rid  of  our  staff. If  we  consider  redundancies,  it
       would cost us a fortune because of the new reg-
        ulations governing compensation packages. It’s a
        real mess.
 A:     For crying  out loud...  How  fast are we losing
        money?

 B:     Um...how can I put this? Let’s just say that at this
        pace,  we will be filing for Chapter eleven in less
       than three months.

 A:    What! Geez! How could this have happened? So
       what’s the bad news?

 B:    Oh, that’s the really bad news. Our supplier suf-
       fered QC problems and, well, half of our produc-
       tion is faulty. We’re going to have to recall all items
       sold in the last quarter. And the worst part? We’re
       going to have to shoulder this cost.

 A:    Are you joking?  Get the supplier on the line now!
       They have to assume the costs of this mess!

 B:    We tried that, sir. The factory has gone under and
       the owner apparently⁴ has fled the country.
 A:    We’re doomed⁵!

 B:    There is some really good news though!

 A:     Really? What!

 B:     I got offered a new job!

1 gory   

adj.流血的；残酷的

参考例句：

• I shuddered when I heard the gory details.我听到血淋淋的详情，战栗不已。
• The newspaper account of the accident gave all the gory details.报纸上报道了这次事故中所有骇人听闻的细节。

2 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

3 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。